Books in Animal Science series

Find out what animals say to each other when they think humans aren't listening! From amorous stink bugs to territorial dogs, from wise old elephants to monkeys with a grudge, "Talk, Talk, Squawk!" has everything you need to know about animals and how and why they communicate. Covering topics of mating, predation, language, territory and looking at all the different ways that animal talk, including smell, touch, colour and sound, "Talk, Talk, Squawk!" is biology made fun and accessible. It comes with hugely entertaining drawings by artist Neal Layton. It is a companion title to "Extreme Animals" (9781406305593) and "Poo" (9781844287512), which has sold over 100,000 copies worldwide. It is a fun and appealing introduction to biology for children. It features witty illustrations from an award-winning illustrator.

An exciting new edition of a brilliantly funny book about how and why animals communicate. From the team behind Poo, Extreme Animals, What's Eating You? and Just the Right Size comes another funny and informative book on animal biology, this time looking at how and why animals communicate - for the purposes of mating, gathering food, warning of danger, and many many more. Biologist and children's writer Nicola Davies takes the reader all over the world and across a wide variety of enthralling species to discover the mysteries behind animal communciation, accompanied by Neal Layton's funny and colourful drawings - solid biology told with great wit and style.

Animals build an incredible array of structures in which to sleep, raise young, or catch prey. Some structures involve excavating in subsoil or wood, others involve construction underwater, and some are fixed to trees. Polar bears dig out caves in the snow to protect themselves from the coldest weather. Spiders spin webs of incredibly strong silk to ensnare prey. Prairie dogs dig underground ‘towns’ that can house hundreds of families.

Sound, sight, and chemicals are all important as animals attempt to communicate warnings, information about food, to attract a mate, or sometimes just for pleasure. Whales communicate across hundreds of miles of ocean with ultrasound ‘songs.’ Fireflies uses flashes of light to attract a mate. Skunks squirt foul-smelling chemicals to ward off attackers.

Finding prey and detecting predators are life-or-death matters for animals. They use some technologically advanced systems including the senses we’re familiar with―and others that are far more sensitive. The book explains how bats use echolocation to hunt on the wing, tells how sharks can smell tiny amounts of blood from hundreds of yards away, and how supersensitive hairs on a spider’s body can pick up vibrations in the air.

Sound, sight, and chemicals are all important as animals attempt to communicate warnings, information about food, to attract a mate, or sometimes just for pleasure. Whales communicate across hundreds of miles of ocean with ultrasound ‘songs.’ Fireflies uses flashes of light to attract a mate. Skunks squirt foul-smelling chemicals to ward off attackers.

Animals build an incredible array of structures in which to sleep, raise young, or catch prey. Some structures involve excavating in subsoil or wood, others involve construction underwater, and some are fixed to trees. Polar bears dig out caves in the snow to protect themselves from the coldest weather. Spiders spin webs of incredibly strong silk to ensnare prey. Prairie dogs dig underground ‘towns’ that can house hundreds of families.

Finding prey and detecting predators are life-or-death matters for animals. They use some technologically advanced systems including the senses we’re familiar with―and others that are far more sensitive. The book explains how bats use echolocation to hunt on the wing, tells how sharks can smell tiny amounts of blood from hundreds of yards away, and how supersensitive hairs on a spider’s body can pick up vibrations in the air.